Do you love Aston Martins but don't have $150,000 to blow on the luxury car? Now Aston Martin - the favored automobile of James Bond - will a car you can actually afford: the Cygnet. It might not look like a classy sportscar, but at least you can tell your friends that, yes, you drive a genuine Aston Martin.

The Aston Martin Cygnet is being marketed as a "luxury commuter concept car" and is expected to be available for less than $32,000. The upscale carmaker is working on the Cygnet to cope with a sharp fall in demand for its top-of-the-line sports cars due to the global recession.

The Cygnet will be manufactured by Toyota - the first time the Japanese carmaker will be producing a car for another automaker. Between 4,000 and 5,000 Cygnets are expected to be produced each year. No word yet on when the Cygnet will hit the market.

Unfortunately, reports are that Aston Martin will only offer the Cygnet to customers already owning either a DB9, DBS or Vantage.

According to Aston Martin, the Cygnet will retain the hallmarks of the carmaker's "design philosophy" but will be inexpensive to operate, environmentally friendly, and safe. That may be all well and good, but will we see James Bond driving one anytime in the near future? Doubtful.

photo credit: Auto Express